PR-61-2025

09 June 2025, Ottawa – The Philippines and Canada held the Second Meeting of the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on 06 June 2025 to discuss the current status of and ways forward to strengthen the bilateral trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

The Philippine delegation met with their Canadian counterparts for an in-depth discussion on trade policy and market access; public private partnerships, public procurement, international financing; energy and natural resources; collaboration in cyber-security technologies; food security and agriculture; and creative industries.

           2nd Philippine-Canda JEC                                            Networking and Session with Private Sector

At the sidelines of the 2nd JEC, the Philippines held talks with Canada’s trade negotiators aimed at concluding a bilateral free trade agreement. The Philippines believe that the two countries' current move to diversify trade partnerships and promote economic resilience provide the impetus for a bilateral free trade. The FTA is expected to benefit Filipino exporters and boost foreign direct investment in the country.

          Meeting with the GAC Trade Negotiation Team                                       Meeting with Minister Rechie Valdez           

“The real measure of our success here can be seen from how these endeavors translate to a better quality of life for both Filipinos and Canadians,” Ambassador Austria says in one of her remarks during the JEC.

The Philippine Delegation to the 2nd Philippines-Canada JEC Meeting

The Philippine delegation was led by Undersecretary Allan B. Gepty of the International Trade Policy Group (ITPG) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), together with representatives from the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa led by Ambassador Maria Andrelita S. Austria, the Department of Energy led by Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella, the Public-Private Partnership Centre led by Executive Director Ma. Cynthia C. Hernandez, Mr. Lupino Lazaro of the Department of Agriculture, and Ms. Fe Lea V. Ajesta of the Department of Finance.

The JEC was established on 02 May 2022 and serves as the two countries’ major platform for bilateral economic cooperation.END